MOTU UltraLite-mk3 FireWire User guide

Brand: MOTU

Model: UltraLite-mk3 FireWire

Category: Supplementary music equipment

Type: User guide

™

UltraLite-

mk3

User Guide for Mac

1280 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02138

Business voice: (617) 576-2760

Business fax: (617) 576-3609

Web site: www.motu.com

Tech support: www.motu.com/support

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 1 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

About the Mark of the Unicorn License Agreement and

Limited Warranty on Software

TO PERSONS WHO PURCHASE OR USE THIS PRODUCT: carefully read all the

terms and conditions of the “click-wrap” license agreement presented to you when

you install the software. Using the software or this documentation indicates your

acceptance of the terms and conditions of that license agreement.

Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. (“MOTU”) owns both this program and its documentation.

Both the program and the documentation are protected under applicable copyright,

trademark, and trade-secret laws. Your right to use the program and the

documentation are limited to the terms and conditions described in the license

agreement.

Reminder of the terms of your license

This summary is not your license agreement, just a reminder of its terms. The actual

license can be read and printed by running the installation program for the software.

That license agreement is a contract, and clicking “Accept” binds you and MOTU to

all its terms and conditions. In the event anything contained in this summary is

incomplete or in conﬂict with the actual click-wrap license agreement, the terms of the

click-wrap agreement prevail.

YOU MAY: (a) use the enclosed program on a single computer; (b) physically transfer

the program from one computer to another provided that the program is used on only

one computer at a time and that you remove any copies of the program from the

computer from which the program is being transferred; (c) make copies of the

program solely for backup purposes. You must reproduce and include the copyright

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the program in a computer service business, network, time-sharing, multiple CPU or

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related documentation without the prior written consent of MOTU.

MOTU warrants to the original licensee that the disk(s) on which the program is

recorded be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a

period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase as evidenced by a copy of your

receipt. If failure of the disk has resulted from accident, abuse or misapplication of the

product, then MOTU shall have no responsibility to replace the disk(s) under this

Limited Warranty.

THIS LIMITED WARRANTY AND RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT IS IN LIEU OF,

AND YOU HEREBY WAIVE, ANY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, BOTH

EXPRESS AND IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES

OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE

LIABILITY OF MOTU PURSUANT TO THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL BE

LIMITED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE DISK(S), AND IN NO

EVENT SHALL MOTU OR ITS SUPPLIERS, LICENSORS, OR AFFILIATES BE

LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING

BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA OR

DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE, OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THIRD

PARTIES EVEN IF MOTU HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF

SUCH DAMAGES. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS

WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW

THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL

DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

Update Policy

In order to be eligible to obtain updates of the program, you must complete and return

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a

retrieval system, or translated into any human or computer language, in any form or

by any means whatsoever, without express written permission of Mark of the

Unicorn, Inc., 1280 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.

Limited Warranty on Hardware

Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. and S&S Research (“MOTU/S&S”) warrant this equipment

against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of TWO (2) YEARS from

the date of original retail purchase. This warranty applies only to hardware products;

MOTU software is licensed and warranted pursuant to separate written statements.

If you discover a defect, ﬁrst write or call Mark of the Unicorn at (617) 576-2760 to

obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization Number. No service will be performed on

any product returned without prior authorization. MOTU will, at its option, repair or

replace the product at no charge to you, provided you return it during the warranty

period, with transportation charges prepaid, to Mark of the Unicorn, Inc., 1280

Massachusetts Avenue, MA 02138. You must use the product’s original packing

material for in shipment, and insure the shipment for the value of the product. Please

include your name, address, telephone number, a description of the problem, and

the original, dated bill of sale with the returned unit and print the Return Merchandise

Authorization Number on the outside of the box below the shipping address.

This warranty does not apply if the equipment has been damaged by accident,

abuse, misuse, or misapplication; has been modiﬁed without the written permission

of MOTU, or if the product serial number has been removed or defaced.

ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF

MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE

LIMITED IN DURATION TO NINETY (90) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE

ORIGINAL RETAIL PURCHASE OF THIS PRODUCT.

THE WARRANTY AND REMEDIES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE

AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHERS, ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

No MOTU/S&S dealer, agent, or employee is authorized to make any modiﬁcation,

extension, or addition to this warranty.

MOTU/S&S ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR

CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY BREACH OF

WARRANTY, OR UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS,

DOWNTIME, GOODWILL, DAMAGE OR REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT

AND PROPERTY AND COST OF RECOVERING REPROGRAMMING, OR

REPRODUCING ANY PROGRAM OR DATA STORED IN OR USED WITH

MOTU/S&S PRODUCTS.

Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liability for

incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not

apply to you. This warranty gives you speciﬁc legal rights, and you may have other

rights which vary from state to state.

MOTU, Digital Performer, AudioDesk, Mark of the Unicorn and the unicorn silhouette

logo are registered trademarks of Mark of the Unicorn, Inc.

This equipment has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital device,

pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection

against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can

radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual,

may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that

interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio

or television equipment reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the

user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by any combination of the following measures:

• Relocate or reorient the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver

• Plug the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected

If necessary, you can consult a dealer or experienced radio/television technician for additional

assistance.

PLEASE NOTE: only equipment certiﬁed to comply with Class B (computer input/output devices,

terminals, printers, etc.) should be attached to this equipment, and it must have shielded interface

cables in order to comply with the Class B FCC limits on RF emissions.

WARNING: changes or modiﬁcations to this unit not expressly approved by the party

responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 2 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

III

Contents

Quick Reference: UltraLite-mk3 Front Panel

Quick Reference: UltraLite-mk3 Rear Panel

Quick Reference: MOTU Audio Setup

About the UltraLite-mk3

Packing List and Mac System Requirements

Installing the UltraLite-mk3 Hardware

Installing the UltraLite-mk3 Mac Software

MOTU Audio Setup

UltraLite-mk3 Front Panel Operation

Digital Performer

AudioDesk

Other Mac OS X Software

Reducing Monitoring Latency

CueMix FX

MOTU SMPTE Console

Troubleshooting

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Quick Reference: UltraLite-mk3 Front Panel

1. This XLR/TRS combo jack accepts either a mic cable or a

cable with a quarter-inch plug. Both the low-impedance

XLR jack and the high-impedance TRS jack are equipped

with 24 dB of front-panel trim adjustment, along with

zero, -18 dB or -36 dB of cut (pad). The XLR (mic) input

can be supplied with 48V phantom power via the Mic 1

front-panel switch.

2. These two Precision Digital Trim™ knobs provide 24 dB

of trim adjustment in 1 dB increments for the front and

rear panel Mic/Instrument inputs. Both have preamps,

so you can plug in just about anything: a microphone, a

guitar or even a synth. For +4 dB signals, use the rear

panel TRS inputs. Use the trim knob, three-way pad

switch and input level meter in the LCD to calibrate the

input signal level.

3. Turn the VOL knob to control the headphone volume. The

LCD provides visual feedback for the headphone volume

setting as you turn the knob. Push the knob once to view

the current volume setting in the LCD display; push it

again to control the UltraLite-mk3’s MASTER VOLUME

setting. From the factory, MASTER VOLUME controls the

(TRS) MAIN OUTS 1-2 on the rear panel, but MASTER

VOLUME can be programmed to control any combination

of outputs. See “The Monitor Group” on page 85 for

details.

4. When power is off, push the VOL knob to power on the

UltraLite-mk3; press and hold to turn it off. The

UltraLite-mk3 is powered by its FireWire connection to

the computer. It is recommended that you always power

off the UltraLite-mk3 before unplugging the FireWire

cable.

5. The multi-purpose backlit LCD provides metering for all

of the UltraLite-mk3’s inputs and outputs. It also gives

you access to the UltraLite-mk3’s built-in mixer and

other settings. There are eight independent stereo mix

busses. Each mixes all inputs (or any subset you wish) to

a stereo output of your choice. The four knobs to the right

of the LCD correspond directly to the four labeled

sections of the LCD. Push the PARAMETER knob repeat-

edly to cycle through the three main LCD display modes:

METER, CUEMIX and SETUP.

METER mode provides level meters for each input and

output. The labels above and below the LCD refer to all of

the UltraLite-mk3’s inputs and outputs (both analog and

digital).

CUEMIX mode lets you program the UltraLite-mk3’s on-

board CueMix FX mixer. Use the CHANNEL knob to

choose the input, output or mix you wish to edit. Push it

to switch among inputs, outputs and busses, then turn it

to choose the desired channel or bus. Use the PAGE,

PARAM and VALUE knobs to access the settings for the

chosen channel.

SETUP mode lets you access general settings. Use the

PARAMETER knob to browse settings, and use the VALUE

knob to adjust them.

6. This is a standard quarter-inch stereo headphone jack.

From the factory, its output matches the main outs on

the rear panel. But it can be programmed to mirror any

other output pair (digital or analog). It can even be

programmed to serve as its own independent output.

Use the volume knob above to control its level.

7. The 48V phantom power switches provide phantom

power for condenser microphones. Up is on; down is off.

The pad switches are three-way switches: down turns off

the pad; the middle position provides an -18 dB pad; the

up position provides a -36 dB pad.

1 2 5

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1. Connect a MIDI device here using standard MIDI cables.

Connect the UltraLite-mk3’s MIDI OUT port to the MIDI IN

port on the other device. Conversely, connect the

UltraLite-mk3’s MIDI IN port to the MIDI OUT port on the

other device. You can connect different devices to each

port, such as a controller device to the IN port and a

sound module to the OUT port. You can also daisy-chain

MIDI devices, but be sure to manage their MIDI channels

(so that they don’t receive or transmit on the same

channel).

2. These jacks provide stereo, 24-bit S/PDIF digital input

and output at any sample rate up to 96kHz.

3. The UltraLite-mk3’s eight analog outputs are gold-

plated, balanced +4dB TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) quarter-

inch connectors that can also accept an unbalanced plug.

They are equipped with 24-bit, 128x oversampling

converters.

4. This XLR/TRS combo jack accepts either a mic cable or a

cable with a quarter-inch plug. Both the low-impedance

XLR jack and the high-impedance TRS jack are equipped

with 24dB of front-panel trim adjustment. The XLR (mic)

input can be supplied with 48V phantom power via the

Mic 2 front-panel switch. The Mic 2 three-way pad switch

provides zero (down), -18dB (middle) and -36dB (up)

pad settings for the XLR (mic) input as well.

5. These two balanced, quarter-inch jacks serve as the

UltraLite-mk3’s main outputs. You can connect them to a

set of powered studio monitors and then control the

volume from the front panel volume knob. To hear disk

tracks in your audio software on these main outs, assign

the disk tracks (and master fader) to these main outs

(

Main Out 1-2

). You can also use CueMix FX to monitor

live UltraLite-mk3 inputs here as well.

6. Equipped with 24-bit 192 kHz converters, these six

analog inputs (3 through 8) are gold-plated, balanced

TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) quarter-inch connectors that can

also accept an unbalanced plug. They do not have micro-

phone preamps, so they are best used for synthesizers,

drum machines, effects processors, and other instru-

ments with line level signals (either -10 dB or +4 dB).

These inputs are also equipped with the UltraLite-mk3’s

Precision Digital Trim™ feature: digitally controlled

analog trims that let you adjust input level in 1 dB incre-

ments from either front panel LCD or the included

CueMix FX software. The trim can be adjusted over a

range of -96 to +22 dB.

7. Connect the UltraLite-mk3 to the computer here using

the standard 1394 FireWire A cable provided with your

UltraLite-mk3.

Important note: it is best to turn off

the UltraLite-mk3 when plugging in the FireWire

cable, as this avoids the possibility of static

discharge, which can harm the electrical compo-

nents in the UltraLite-mk3 or your computer.

Use the

second FireWire port to daisy-chain up to four MOTU

FireWire audio interfaces to a single FireWire bus. You

can also connect other FireWire devices. Keep in mind

that the UltraLite-mk3 uses more FireWire bus

bandwidth when it operates at higher sample rates,

which will limit the number of devices you can daisy

chain on a single FireWire bus. For details, see see

“Connecting multiple MOTU FireWire interfaces” on

page 22.

8. This jack accepts any standard 10-24V DC power supply

with either tip-positive or tip-negative polarity.

Quick Reference: UltraLite-mk3 Rear Panel

1 2 3

57 6

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CHAPTER

Quick Reference: MOTU Audio Setup

This button opens another dialog that lets

you assign your own customized names to

each UltraLite-mk3 input and output. For

example, if you have a lead vocal mic plugged

into input 1, you could name it “Lead Vox”.

Your customized names then appear in your

host audio application (if it supports CoreAu-

dio input naming).

This menu lets you choose what you will hear

from the headphone jack. To mirror the main

outs, choose Main Out 1-2. Or you can mirror

any other output pair. To hear the phones as

their own independent output, choose

Phones 1-2.

Determines the clock source for your

UltraLite-mk3. If you’re just using the

analog ins and outs, set this to Internal. The

other settings are for digital transfers via

S/PDIF or synchronization to time code or

other audio devices.

Choose the output pair you would

like the main outs to mirror, or

choose Main Outs to operate them

as their own independent pair.

Choose the sample rate for the

UltraLite-mk3 here.

Click the tabs to access general

MOTU FireWire interface

settings or settings speciﬁc to

the UltraLite-mk3 (or other

connected interface).

In the standard Mac OS X fashion, the

setup software appears in the dock

when you launch it. If the Launch

console automatically option is

checked (as shown above), the icon

appears as soon as you switch on your

UltraLite-mk3 interface. If you click

and hold on the dock icon (instead of

clicking it) or control-click, a menu of

hardware settings appears as shown

to the right. You can view and conﬁg-

ure any hardware settings from this

menu, without opening the setup

software window.

Click the General tab to access these settings.

Speciﬁes the stereo input and

output pair when the

UltraLite-mk3 is chosen for Mac

The UltraLite-mk3 driver provides a

stereo return back to the computer.

This return feeds the signal on any

output pair directly back to the

computer, where you can record,

process, monitor or otherwise use

it. This is a great way to “bounce”

full mixes, complete with live audio

routed through the UltraLite-mk3

only, back into the computer.

Check this option if you would like the MOTU

Audio Setup icon to appear in the application

dock as soon as a MOTU FireWire interface is

detected (switched on, plugged in, etc.)

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CHAPTER

1About the UltraLite-mk3

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The UltraLite-mk3 Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The UltraLite-mk3 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

16-bit and 24-bit recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

CueMix FX 32-bit ﬂoating point mixing and effects. . 11

AudioDesk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Digital Performer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Other Host Audio Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

OVERVIEW

The UltraLite-mk3 is a FireWire audio interface for

Mac and Windows with on-board effects and

mixing that offers 10 inputs and 14 outputs at any

standard sample rates up to 96 kHz. Both analog

and digital I/O are offered at sample rates up to 96

kHz, and analog recording and playback is offered

at rates up to 192 kHz. All inputs and outputs can

be accessed simultaneously. The UltraLite-mk3 is

housed in a sturdy, compact half-rack enclosure

that connects directly to a computer via a standard

IEEE 1394 FireWire™ cable.

The UltraLite-mk3 offers the following main

features:

■Bus-powered operation

■Six 24-bit analog quarter-inch (TRS) inputs

■Ten 24-bit analog quarter-inch (TRS) outputs

■Two combo XLR/TRS mic/guitar inputs with

preamps, 48V phantom power, three-way pad

switch , and Precision Digital Trim™ preamp gain

adjustment

■Operation on all analog I/O at standard sample

rates up to 192 kHz

■Digitally controlled analog trim for all analog

inputs

■RCA S/PDIF digital I/O at sample rates up to

96 kHz

■MIDI I/O

■On-board SMPTE synchronization

■Headphone jack with volume control

■Front panel volume control of the Main Outs (or

any programmable combination of outputs)

■CueMix™ FX no-latency mixing, monitoring

and effects processing

■Front-panel LCD programming for the mixer

and all other settings

■Extensive front panel metering and status LEDs

■Stand-alone operation

■Mac and Windows drivers for multi-channel

operation and across-the-board compatibility with

any audio software on current Mac and Windows

systems

■AudioDesk™, full-featured audio workstation

software for Mac OS that supports both 16-bit and

24-bit recording

With a variety of I/O formats, mic preamps and

no-latency mixing and processing of live input, the

UltraLite-mk3 is a complete, portable “studio in a

box” when used with a Mac or Windows computer.

THE ULTRALITE-MK3 REAR PANEL

The rear panel has the following connectors:

■Ten gold-plated, balanced +4dB quarter-inch

(TRS) analog outputs (with 24-bit 192 kHz

converters)

■Six gold-plated, balanced quarter-inch (TRS)

analog inputs (with 24-bit 192 kHz converters)

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ABOUT THE ULTRALITE-MK3

■One combo XLR/TRS mic/instrument input

■RCA S/PDIF in/out

■MIDI IN and MIDI OUT jacks

■Two 1394 FireWire jacks

■DC power jack

10 inputs and 14 outputs

All UltraLite-mk3 inputs and outputs can be used

simultaneously, for a total of 10 inputs and 14

outputs when operating at sample rates up to

96 kHz:

All inputs and outputs are discrete and can be

active simultaneously.

The headphone outputs can operate as an

independent output pair, or they can mirror any

other UltraLite-mk3 output pair, such as the main

outs.

Mic/guitar inputs with preamps

The two mic/instrument inputs (front panel and

rear panel) are equipped with preamps and

“combo” XLR/TRS jacks, which accept low-

impedance XLR microphone inputs or high-

impedance quarter-inch guitar/instruments

inputs. Individual switches supply 48 volt phantom

power to each mic input. A three-way pad switch

provides zero, -18 dB or -36 dB of attenuation. The

Precision Digital Trim™ knobs on the front panel

for each mic/instrument input provide 24 dB of

adjustment in precise 1 dB increments.

Analog

All six quarter-inch analog inputs are equipped

with 24-bit 192 kHz A/D converters. All eight

analog outputs have 24-bit 192 kHz D/A

converters. All audio is carried to the computer in a

24-bit data stream.

All ten analog outputs and six quarter-inch analog

inputs are on balanced TRS +4dB quarter-inch

jacks. All of these jacks can also accept unbalanced

plugs.

Precision Digital Trim™

All of the UltraLite-mk3’s analog inputs are

equipped with digitally controlled analog trims

that allow adjustments in 1 dB increments. The

mic/guitar input trims can be adjusted using front-

panel digital rotary encoders that provide feedback

in the front panel LCD with 24 dB of adjustment.

All analog inputs, including six rear-panel TRS

analog inputs, can be trimmed using the front

panel LCD or using the UltraLite-mk3’s included

CueMix FX control software for Mac and

Windows. This allows you to ﬁne-tune trim

settings for synths, effects modules and a wide

variety of analog inputs for optimum levels.

Different trim conﬁgurations can then be saved as

ﬁles on disk for instant recall.

S/PDIF

The UltraLite-mk3 rear panel provides RCA “coax”

S/PDIF input and output.

MIDI I/O

The UltraLite-mk3’s standard MIDI IN and MIDI

OUT jacks supply 16 channels of MIDI I/O to and

from the computer via the UltraLite-mk3’s

FireWire connection. Timing accuracy can be

sample-accurate with host software that supports

it.

Connection Input Output

Analog 24-bit 192 kHz on bal/unbal TRS 6 10

Mic preamps 24-bit 192 kHz on XLR/TRS

combo

SPDIF 24-bit 96kHz digital 2 2

Headphone output - 2

Total 10 14

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ABOUT THE ULTRALITE-MK3

On-board SMPTE synchronization

The UltraLite-mk3 can resolve directly to SMPTE

time code via any analog input, without a separate

synchronizer. It can also generate time code via any

analog output. The UltraLite-mk3 provides a

DSP-driven phase-lock engine with sophisticated

ﬁltering that provides fast lockup times and sub-

frame accuracy.

The included MOTU SMPTE Console™ software

provides a complete set of tools for generating and

regenerating SMPTE time code, which allows you

to slave other devices to the computer. Like

CueMix FX, the synchronization features are

cross-platform and compatible with any audio

sequencer software that supports the ASIO2

sample-accurate sync protocol.

1394 FireWire

The two 1394 FireWire jacks accept a standard

IEEE 1394 FireWire cable to connect the

UltraLite-mk3 to a FireWire-equipped Mac or

Windows computer. The UltraLite-mk3 has the

ability to power itself from its FireWire connection

to the computer.

The second jack can be used to daisy chain

multiple interfaces — up to four MOTU FireWire

interfaces — on a single FireWire bus. It can also be

used to connect other FireWire devices without the

need for a FireWire hub. Keep in mind, however,

that the UltraLite-mk3 uses more FireWire bus

bandwidth when it operates at higher sample rates.

These operating conﬁgurations will limit the

number of devices you can daisy chain on a single

FireWire bus.

Power supply

If you do not want the UltraLite-mk3 to draw

power from the computer, and AC power is

available, you can power the UltraLite-mk3 from

any standard 10-18V, 12 watt DC power supply

with any polarity (tip positive or negative).

THE ULTRALITE-MK3 FRONT PANEL

Mic/instrument input

See “Mic/guitar inputs with preamps” on page 10.

48V phantom power and pad switch

See “Mic/guitar inputs with preamps” on page 10.

Headphone output and main volume control

The UltraLite-mk3 front panel provides a quarter-

inch stereo headphone output jack and volume

knob. The LCD display provides feedback as you

turn the knob. The VOL knob can be used to

control the volume of the main out jacks on the rear

panel. It can alternately be conﬁgured to control

any combination of outputs.

Programmable backlit LCD display

Any UltraLite-mk3 setting, including the powerful

CueMix FX on-board 16-bus mixer with effects,

can be accessed directly from the front panel using

the four rotary encoders and the 2x16 backlit LCD

display.

The LCD also provides activity metering for all

UltraLite-mk3 inputs and outputs.

16-BIT AND 24-BIT RECORDING

The UltraLite-mk3 system handles all data with a

24-bit signal path, regardless of the I/O format. You

can record and play back 16-bit or 24-bit audio ﬁles

at any supported sample rate via any of the

UltraLite-mk3’s analog or digital inputs and

outputs. 24-bit audio ﬁles can be recorded with any

compatible host application that supports 24-bit

recording.

CUEMIX FX 32-BIT FLOATING POINT

MIXING AND EFFECTS

All UltraLite-mk3 inputs and outputs can be

routed to the on-board CueMix FX 16-bus (8

stereo) digital mixer driven by hardware-based

DSP with 32-bit ﬂoating point precision. The

mixer allows you to apply no-latency effects

processing to inputs, outputs or busses directly in

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ABOUT THE ULTRALITE-MK3

the UltraLite-mk3 hardware, independent of the

computer. Effects can even be applied when the

UltraLite-mk3 is operating stand-alone (without a

computer) as a complete portable mixer. Input

signals to the computer can be recorded wet, dry,

or dry with a wet monitor mix (for musicians

during recording, for example).

Effects include reverb, parametric EQ and

compression/limiting. The UltraLite-mk3’s Classic

Reverb™ provides ﬁve different room types, three

frequency bands with adjustable crossover points,

shelf ﬁltering and reverb lengths up to 60-seconds.

Two forms of compression are supplied: a standard

compressor with conventional threshold/ratio/

attack/release/gain controls and the Leveler™, an

accurate model of the legendary LA-2A optical

compressor, which provides vintage, musical

automatic gain control.

CueMix FX also provides 7-band parametric EQ

modeled after British analog console EQs,

featuring 4 ﬁlter styles (gain/Q proﬁles) to

effectively cover a wide range of audio material.

Low-pass and high-pass ﬁlters are also supplied

with slopes that range from 6 to 36 dB. The EQ

employs extremely high precision 64-bit ﬂoating

point processing.

The UltraLite-mk3’s ﬂexible effects architecture

allows you to apply EQ and compression on every

input and output (a total of 24 channels), with

enough DSP resources for at least one band of

parametric EQ and compression on every channel

at 48 kHz. However, DSP resources are allocated

dynamically and a DSP meter in the CueMix FX

software (included) allows you to keep tabs on the

UltraLite-mk3’s processing resources. Each input,

output and mix bus provides a send to the Classic

Reverb processor, which then feeds reverb returns

to mix busses and outputs, with a selectable split

point between them to prevent send/return

feedback loops.

AUDIODESK

AudioDesk is a full-featured, 24-bit audio

workstation software package included with the

UltraLite-mk3 system (for Mac only). AudioDesk

provides multi-channel waveform editing,

automated virtual mixing, graphic editing of ramp

automation, real-time effects plug-ins with 32-bit

ﬂoating point processing, crossfades, support for

many third-party audio plug-ins, background

processing of ﬁle-based operations, sample-

accurate editing and placement of audio, and more.

DIGITAL PERFORMER

The UltraLite-mk3 system is fully integrated with

MOTU’s award-winning Digital Performer audio

sequencer software package.

OTHER HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

The UltraLite-mk3 system includes a standard

Mac OS X Core Audio driver for multichannel I/O

with any audio application that supports Core

Audio.

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 12 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

CHAPTER

2Packing List and Mac System

Requirements

PACKING LIST

The UltraLite-mk3 ships with the items listed

below. If any of these items are not present in your

UltraLite-mk3 box when you ﬁrst open it, please

immediately contact your dealer or MOTU.

■One UltraLite-mk3 I/O rack unit

■One 6-pin to 6-pin IEEE 1394 “FireWire” cable

■One set of removable rack ears

■One UltraLite-mk3 Mac/Windows manual

■One AudioDesk Manual

■One cross-platform CD-ROM

■Product registration card

MAC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

The UltraLite-mk3 system requires the following

Mac system:

■A G4/500MHz Power Mac or faster equipped

with at least one FireWire port

■At least 256 MB (megabytes) of RAM (512 MB

or more is recommended)

■Mac OS X (version 10.4.9 or later)

■A large hard drive (preferably at least 250 GB)

PLEASE REGISTER TODAY!

Please register your UltraLite-mk3 today. There are

two ways to register.

■Visit www.motu.com/register

■Fill out and mail the included product

registration card

As a registered user, you will be eligible to receive

technical support and announcements about

product enhancements as soon as they become

available. Only registered users receive these

special update notices, so please register today!

Be sure to do the same for the included AudioDesk

software, which must be registered separately. You

can do so online or by ﬁlling out and mailing the

included software registration card found at the

beginning of your AudioDesk manual. Please be

sure to register AudioDesk as well, so that you will

be eligible to receive online technical support email

and announcements about AudioDesk software

enhancements as soon as they become available.

Thank you for taking the time to register your new

MOTU products!

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 13 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

PACKING LIST AND MAC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 14 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

CHAPTER

3Installing the UltraLite-mk3

Hardware

OVERVIEW

Here’s an overview for installing the

UltraLite-mk3:

Important note before you begin! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Take these precautions to prevent damage to your

computer, the UltraLite-mk3 and other

equipment.

Connect the UltraLite-mk3 interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Connect the UltraLite-mk3 to the computer.

Connect audio inputs and outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Make analog and digital connections as desired.

Connect MIDI gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Connect a controller, synth or control surface.

Connecting and syncing S/PDIF devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Connect a DAT deck, effects processor or other

device with digital I/O, but be sure to make the

correct clock source settings.

Power options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Choose from among several convenient options.

A typical UltraLite-mk3 setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

An example setup for computer-based mixing/FX.

Connecting multiple MOTU FireWire interfaces . . . . . 22

Connect additional UltraLites or other audio

interfaces.

IMPORTANT NOTE BEFORE YOU BEGIN!

Before you begin installing the UltraLite-mk3 (or

any bus-powered device), take these important

precautionary measures to avoid damaging the

sensitive electrical components in your computer,

the UltraLite-mk3 or other devices being

connected:

■Turn of f the computer.

■Turn off the UltraLite-mk3 (push and hold the

VOL knob.

■Turn off the power of any other devices.

■Touch the metal casing of the UltraLite-mk3 to

discharge any static electricity that you may be

carrying just before the installation.

After you have made all of the necessary

connections, as described in this chapter, turn on

the devices in this sequence:

1. Turn on the computer.

2. Turn on the UltraLite-mk3.

3. Turn on other devices connected to the

UltraLite-mk3.

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 15 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

INSTALLING THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HARDWARE

CONNECT THE ULTRALITE-MK3 INTERFACE

1Make sure your computer and the

UltraLite-mk3 are switched off.

2Plug one end of the UltraLite-mk3 FireWire

cable (included) into the FireWire socket on the

computer as shown below in Figure 3-1.

☛You can connect the UltraLite-mk3 to an

800Mbit “FireWire B” port using a 9-pin to 6-pin

FireWire B cable (not shown). However, the

UltraLite-mk3 will still operate at its speciﬁed

400Mbit (FireWire A) data rate.

3Plug the other end of the FireWire cable into the

UltraLite-mk3 I/O as shown below in Figure 3-1.

Figure 3-1: Connecting the UltraLite-mk3 to the computer.

☛Make absolute sure to align the ﬂat side of the

FireWire plug properly with the ﬂat side of the

FireWire socket on the UltraLite-mk3. If you

attempt to force the plug into the socket the wrong

way, you can damage the UltraLite-mk3.

CONNECT AUDIO INPUTS AND OUTPUTS

The UltraLite-mk3 audio interface has the

following audio input and output connectors:

■10 balanced quarter-inch analog outputs

■6 balanced quarter-inch analog inputs

■2 XLR/quarter-inch “combo” analog inputs with

preamps

■1 pair of RCA S/PDIF in and out

Here are a few things you should keep in mind as

you are making these connections to other devices.

Mic/instrument inputs

Connect a microphone, guitar, instrument or other

analog input to the XLR/TRS combo jack with

either a standard mic cable or a balanced cable with

a quarter-inch plug.

☛Do not connect a +4 (line level) XLR cable to

the front-panel inputs (because of the preamps).

Use a rear-panel quarter-inch input instead.

Phantom power

If you are connecting a condenser microphone or

other device that requires phantom power, move

the 48V phantom power switch on the front panel

to the up position (enabled).

Trim

Both the low-impedance XLR jack and the high-

impedance TRS jack are equipped with 24dB of

trim control. Use the digital trim knobs on the

front panel to adjust the input level as needed for

each input. The LCD provides visual feedback as

you turn the trim knob. The UltraLite-mk3’s input

trims are digital controlled, so they allow you to

make ﬁne-tuned adjustments in precise 1dB

increments. You can also adjust trim in the MOTU

CueMix FX software. See “Input trim” on page 69.

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 16 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

INSTALLING THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HARDWARE

Three-way pad

The XLR jack is equipped with a three-way pad, so

“hot” signals are best connected via an XLR cable

so that you can use the pad switch. Since the pad is

not available on the TRS jack, hot signals

connected via the TRS jack will probably overdrive

the input. The independent three-way pad switch

for each input provides zero (down), -18 dB

(middle) and -36 dB (up) pad settings for the XLR

jack. When combined with the 24 dB digital trim,

the full gain range is 60 dB. This is the difference

between the minimum (trim at zero + pad at

-36 dB) and maximum (trim at +24 dB + pad at

zero) gain settings.

Combo jack summary

Use these general guidelines for the 48V phantom

power, pad and trim settings on the two combo

input jacks:

Quarter-inch analog

The quarter-inch analog inputs (3-8) and outputs

(1-8 plus main out) are balanced (TRS) connectors

that can also accept an unbalanced plug.

The quarter-inch outputs are calibrated to produce

a +4 dBu line level output signal.

Quarter-inch analog input trims

The quarter-inch inputs are calibrated to

accommodate either +4 or -10 dBu signals and are

equipped with digitally controlled analog trims

that provide +22 dB of gain and -96 dB of cut. You

can use either the front panel LCD or the included

CueMix FX software to adjust the input trim. To

adjust these trims using CueMix FX, see “Input

trim” on page 69. To adjust the trims using the

front panel LCD:

1Push the PARAM knob repeatedly until you see

CUEMIX in the LCD display.

2Push the CHANNEL knob repeatedly until you

see “I:” (which stands for Input) in the CHANNEL

section of the LCD (Figure 3-2).

3Turn the CHANNEL KNOB until you see the

desired analog input or input pair. For example,

analog inputs 1-2 appear as “I:An 1-2”

(Figure 3-2), which means Input analog 1-2.

4From the factory, analog inputs are grouped in

stereo pairs (1-2, 3-4, etc.) If you need to split a pair

to program it as two individual mono inputs, turn

the PARAM knob until you see PAIR in the

parameter section of the LCD (Figure 3-2). Turn

the VALUE knob to choose MONO. Then turn the

CHANNEL knob again to select the desired input.

Figure 3-2: The settings for analog inputs 1 and 2 (as a pair).

5After splitting the stereo pair, if necessary, turn

the PARAM knob until you see the TRIM

parameter in the LCD (Figure 3-3):

Figure 3-3: Setting the input trim for a TRS analog input pair.

6Turn the VALUE knob to adjust the trim.

Input 48V Pad Trim

Condenser mic On As needed As needed

Dynamic mic Off As needed As needed

Guitar Off n/a As needed

-10 dB Line level via TRS Off n/a As needed

-10 dB Line level via XLR Off -36dB +12dB

+4 dB line level (XLR only) Off -36dB Zero

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 17 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

INSTALLING THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HARDWARE

Separate main outs

The main outputs operate as an independent pair

(they don’t share signal with any other output

pair). In a standard studio conﬁguration, the main

outs are intended for a pair of studio monitors, but

they can also be used as regular outputs for any

purpose. Their reference level is +4dB. Main out

volume is controlled by the VOL knob on the front

panel: push it repeatedly until you see MASTER

and then turn it to adjust the master volume

output. This knob can be programmed to control

any combination of outputs you wish.

S/PDIF

If you make a S/PDIF digital audio connection to

another device, be sure to review the digital audio

clocking issues, as explained in “Connecting and

syncing S/PDIF devices” on page 19.

The UltraLite-mk3 on-board mixer also supplies

12dB of digital trim adjustment for the S/PDIF

input pair, which can be adjusted from CueMix FX

(“Input trim” on page 69) or the front panel (using

the same procedure as explained earlier for

“Quarter-inch analog input trims” on page 17.

CONNECT MIDI GEAR

Connect your MIDI device’s MIDI IN jack to the

UltraLite-mk3’s MIDI OUT jack (Connection A

below). Conversely, connect the MIDI device’s

MIDI OUT jack to the UltraLite-mk3’s MIDI IN

jack (Connection B).

Figure 3-4: Connecting a MIDI device to the UltraLite-mk3.

One-way MIDI connections

MIDI devices that do not receive MIDI data, such

as a dedicated keyboard controller, guitar

controller, or drum pad, only need Connection B

shown in Figure 3-4. Similarly, devices that never

send data, such as a sound module, only need

Connection A. Make both connections for any

device that needs to both send and receive MIDI

data.

Connecting additional gear with MIDI THRUs

If you need to connect several pieces of MIDI gear,

run a MIDI cable from the MIDI THRU of a device

already connected to the UltraLite-mk3 to the

MIDI IN on the additional device as shown below

in Figure 3-5. The two devices then share the

UltraLite-mk3’s MIDI OUT port. This means that

they share the same set of 16 MIDI channels, too,

so try to do this with devices that receive on only

one MIDI channel (such as effects modules) so

their receive channels don’t conﬂict with one

another.

Figure 3-5: Connecting additional devices with MIDI THRU ports.

MIDI Thru when operating stand-alone

The UltraLite-mk3 has a MIDI Thru feature for

stand-alone operation. See “MIDI Thru in

standalone” on page 38.

UltraLite-mk3

rear panel

MIDI Device

MIDI

cables

MIDI

OUT

MIDI

OUT

MIDI

Connection A

Connection B

MIDI IN

MIDI

cable

MIDI Device

MIDI

THRU

MIDI

OUT

Additional device

UltraLite-mk3

rear panel

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 18 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

INSTALLING THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HARDWARE

CONNECTING AND SYNCING S/PDIF

DEVICES

DAT decks and other devices with S/PDIF digital

I/O will sync to the UltraLite-mk3 in via the

S/PDIF connection itself. Just connect it to the

UltraLite-mk3 via the S/PDIF connectors. When

the device records a digital audio signal (from the

UltraLite-mk3), it will simply synchronize to the

clock provided by the digital audio input.

On the other hand, when you transfer audio from

the S/PDIF device into the UltraLite-mk3, you’ll

have to slave the UltraLite-mk3 to its S/PDIF input.

Figure 3-6: The setup for synchronizing a S/PDIF device with the

UltraLite-mk3. Sync is achieved via the digital I/O connection itself. In

this case, you have to choose S/PDIF as the UltraLite-mk3’s clock

source when recording from the other device.

POWER OPTIONS

The UltraLite-mk3 can draw power from two

possible sources: the computer (via FireWire) or a

DC power supply.

Bus power requirements

The UltraLite-mk3 draws all the power it needs

from the FireWire bus connection to the computer.

However, the FireWire connection to the computer

must meet all of the requirements discussed below.

6-pin FireWire connectors

The UltraLite-mk3 can only draw power over the

FireWire bus from a 6-pin to 6-pin cable, or a 6-pin

to 9-pin (FireWire B) cable. It cannot draw power

from a FireWire cable with a 4-pin connector, as

shown below:

Figure 3-7: 4-pin FireWire connectors cannot be used for bus power.

When operating under bus power, daisy-chaining

is not recommended

The UltraLite-mk3 can be daisy-chained with

other FireWire devices from a single FireWire

connection to the computer. However, if the

UltraLite-mk3 is operating under bus power, this is

not recommended. If you need to daisy chain the

UltraLite-mk3 with other devices on the same

FireWire bus, power the UltraLite-mk3 with the

included power adaptor. The other devices on the

chain should also have their own power supply. In

general, bus-powered FireWire devices should not

be daisy-chained.

FireWire adapter products must be powered

If you are using a FireWire adapter (a third-party

product that supplies one or more FireWire ports

to your computer), it must have direct access to a

power supply:

■PCI FireWire cards — If you plan to connect the

UltraLite-mk3 to a PCI card and run the

UltraLite-mk3 under bus power, the PCI card must

have a direct connection to the power supply

harness inside your computer. This is the same

power supply harness to which you connect

internal hard drives, CD/DVD drives, etc.

S/PDIF

S/PDIF device

UltraLite-mk3

Clock Source setting =

Internal (when transferring from the

UltraLite-mk3 to the other device)

UltraLite-mk3

Clock Source setting =

S/PDIF (when transferring from the

other device to the UltraLite-mk3)

S/PDIF

6-pin FireWire

4-pin FireWire

✓✗

YES NO

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 19 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

INSTALLING THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HARDWARE

■PCMCIA or ExpressCard slot adapters — If you

plan to connect the UltraLite-mk3 to a PC card

FireWire adapter (inserted in the PC card slot in

your laptop), it must provide a 6-pin connection

and it must also have its own power supply. Most

commonly, these types of products have a DC

power adapter. As you can see, however, this

situation does not allow for remote battery

operation, as the PC card adapter requires AC.

Examples of bus- powered operation

Here are a few typical examples of bus-powered

UltraLite-mk3 operation:

Bus power from a desktop computer

Your desktop computer is running off of its usual

AC power connection, and the UltraLite-mk3

draws power from the FireWire cable connected to

the computer. There are no limits to running time.

Bus power from an AC-powered laptop

This scenario is identical to the desktop situation

described above: the laptop is powered by AC, the

UltraLite-mk3 is powered via the FireWire bus and

there are no limits to running time.

Bus power from a battery-powered laptop

The laptop is being powered by its own battery, and

the UltraLite-mk3 is being powered by its FireWire

connection to the computer. So the laptop battery

is supplying power to both the laptop and the

UltraLite-mk3. This is the most compact and

portable operating scenario. Running time is

determined by the capacity of the laptop battery.

For extended recording sessions, bring extra, fully

charged laptop batteries.

DC power supply

If you do not want the UltraLite-mk3 to draw

power from the computer, and AC power is

available, you can power the UltraLite-mk3 from

any standard 8-18 volt, 12 watt DC power supply

with any polarity (tip positive or negative), and

amperage as shown below.

Bus power versus DC power

When you connect a DC power supply, the

UltraLite-mk3 could draw power from either

FireWire or the DC power supply. So which source

does it use? The answer is: the source that is

currently supplying the greatest voltage. But in

practice, it doesn’t really matter because the only

situation in which you need to be concerned about

the UltraLite-mk3’s power draw is when you are

operating it with a battery-powered laptop. And in

this situation, the only available power is from

FireWire. In all other situations, the computer has

its own power, so it doesn’t matter if the

UltraLite-mk3 is drawing power from FireWire.

Turning off the UltraLite-mk3

To turn on the UltraLite-mk3, push the VOL knob.

To turn it off, push and hold the VOL knob. When

the UltraLite-mk3 is turned off, it is really in a sort

of “sleep” mode, where it still draws just enough

power to detect the power switch (a digital

encoder) when the UltraLite-mk3 is turned back

on. But the amount of power that the

UltraLite-mk3 draws when it is turned off is so

small that it has very little practical impact. If you

are running a laptop under battery power, and you

are in a situation where you are not using the

UltraLite-mk3 and you need every last bit of laptop

battery power, unplug the UltraLite-mk3 entirely

from the computer.

Voltage Amperage

9 volts 1.33 amps

12 volts 1 amp

18 volts 0.66 amps

!UltraLite Manual/Mac Page 20 Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 PM

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MOTU UltraLite-mk3 FireWire User guide

Brand: MOTU

Model: UltraLite-mk3 FireWire

Category: Supplementary music equipment

Type: User guide

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MOTU UltraLite-mk3 FireWire User guide

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